Intro to Grammar ( ES-1)

Let's answer some grammar questions.

By Haribabu Thammineni Lendi Institute of Engineering and Technology

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct sentence:

• The group of students are going on a trip.

• The group of students is going on a trip.

• The group of students were going on a trip.

​The group of students is going on a trip.

Why?

• Here, the subject is “The group” (singular), not “students.”

• Collective nouns like group, team, and committee are usually considered singular when they act as one unit.

Open Ended

Poster Error: A poster reads: “Join us for Hackathon at 5 PM in the evening.”

Discuss: What’s wrong? How can you correct it?

The phrase “at 5 PM in evening” is incorrect because:

• We don’t use "in" with a specific time like 5 PM.

• When you say 5 PM, it already tells us it’s evening, so adding “in evening” is redundant.

Corrected versions:

• “Join us for the Hackathon at 5 PM.” (most natural)

• Or: “Join us for the Hackathon in the evening.” (if you don’t want to mention the exact time).

Poll

Campus Circular

"The list of shortlisted candidates are displayed on the notice board."

• There is an error

• The sentence is appropriate

​Corrected Sentence:
"The list of shortlisted candidates is displayed on the notice board."

Explanation:

• The main subject of this sentence is “The list”, not “candidates.”

• Even though “candidates” is plural, it is part of a prepositional phrase (“of shortlisted candidates”) that only describes the list.

• In Subject–Verb Agreement, the verb agrees with the main noun (head noun), not the noun in the prepositional phrase.

• “List” is singular, so we use the singular verb “is.”

​"You are telling an HR interviewer about your project:"

a) I worked on a project on Machine Learning.

b) I have worked on a project on Machine Learning.

c) I had worked on a project on Machine Learning.

Discuss: Which one sounds best in an interview? Why?

​"Talking to friends about a past event:"

• a) I participated in a national hackathon last year.

• b) I have participated in a national hackathon last year.
  Discuss: Why is one wrong even if it “sounds okay”?

​“Have worked” (Present Perfect) connects past experience to the present, implying it is relevant and adds value now — exactly what you want to convey in an interview.

• “I worked” (Simple Past) only states a past fact, without showing its continuing relevance.

• “I had worked” (Past Perfect) is used when referring to an action completed before another past event — not suitable unless you’re narrating a sequence (e.g., “I had worked on ML before joining this company”).

​"Last year" refers to a specific finished time in the past.

• With specific past time expressions (yesterday, last week, in 2023, etc.), we use Simple Past (participated).

• Present Perfect (have participated) is used for experiences without a specific time or when the time is still ongoing (e.g., I have participated in many hackathons — time is not mentioned).

Open Ended

Combine: “I met a man. He is a famous painter.”

​Combine:
“I met a man. He is a famous painter.”
Correct the Structure:
"Running fast, the bus was missed by me."
Break It Down:
"The students who had prepared well performed excellently in the exam."

​Sentence:
"The students who had prepared well performed excellently in the exam." (makes it smoother and less repetitive.)

Step 1 – Identify Clauses:

• Main Clause: The students performed excellently in the exam.

• Subordinate (Relative) Clause: who had prepared well (describes "students").

Step 2 – Type of Sentence:

• This is a Complex Sentence (one main clause + one subordinate clause).

Step 3 – Rewrite as Simple Sentences:

• The students had prepared well.

• They performed excellently in the exam.